UPDATE 10/19/2005: 9 months after the ticket, I got the appeal decision in the mail. I won!
Like many cities in California, San Francisco has been using Automated Enforcement Systems (a.k.a. “Red Light Cameras”) at many of its intersections for several years now. Although the stated purpose is (of course) for safety, the real reason is revenue. If you are the unlucky recipient of one of the citations in the mail (as yours truly recently was) then this website is for you. It explains your options and relates my experience with the San Francisco court system.
Your choices:
- The picture isn’t of you. The registered owner is who gets sent the ticket. If the picture is not of you, sign the attached affidavit saying that the picture isn’t of you. Don’t lie — you’re saying under the penalty of purjury that it’s not you in the ticket. DO NOT, however, TELL THEM WHO IS IN THE PICTURE. It’s their job to figure that out, not yours. Don’t rat out your friends and family.
- Pay it. If $371 is worth less to you than a lost morning in court, then just pay the ticket and move on. You may or may not want to do traffic school to keep the points from appearing on your license. While I’ve never done it myself, I hear the on-line version of traffic school is fairly painless.
- Trial + Traffic school. This is probably the best option for most people. Go to the clerk. Post bail (the amount of your ticket) and plead not-guilty.  Get a time for trial. SHOW UP ON TIME. When the court session starts, the clerk will allow you to have your fine reduced to only $50 if you take traffic school (with a $30 fee). For a total of $80, you’re done and the points are not added to your license. NOTE: If you’ve already done traffic school in the past 18 months, you’re not eligible to do it again. Sorry.
- Plead not-guilty. Lots of options here. You can skip the arraignment and demand your right to a speedy trial (within 45 days) by going to the clerk and posting the $371 bond. Sometimes, due to the short notice, the officer isn’t properly subpoenaed and won’t know that he/she needs to testify against you (this happened in my case). If the officer doesn’t appear to testify, your case is dismissed. Or, the officer could already be in court to testify against other people and will realize that she needs to testify against you too, and will testify anyway (yep, this happened to me).Or, you can go to your arraignment and plead not-guilty there. This gives you the chance to make pre-trial motions. This makes the process very drawn-out — expect your trial date to be many months in the future.
Pleading not-guilty
NOTE WELL: This takes a lot of time and will really try your patience. DO NOT EXPECT TO WIN. In fact, you should expect to lose. Sorry, but the trial court for traffic and other infractions in San Francisco assumes GUILT. Moreover, the red light camera systems are considered infallible and therefore beyond reproach. AGAIN, YOU WILL LOSE.
Don’t waste your time
- People often say that with traffic cases you should plead not-guilty and take your chances that the officer won’t show up. (If the officer doesn’t show up, your case is immediately dismissed.) I would agree with this strategy for all non-red light camera tickets. However, from what I can tell, the officers assisting with the red light camera prosecutions do not have normal police “beats”, and instead have a desk job, probably in the same building. This means they have a high liklihood of showing up.
- If you are planning to contend that you don’t run red lights, you are a safe driver, and you’ve never done it before, do not waste your time. (Most murderers haven’t murdered anyone before, either.) You will be found GUILTY. Your fine will be lowered to $300, but they won’t grant you traffic school. You are better off taking the $80 buy-off deal mentioned above.
- If you are planning to contend that the light was really yellow and the camera was wrong or broken, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME. You will be found GUILTY. I promise. Don’t forget the the cameras are considered infallible by the trial court judge. Even if it was broken!
Argue the law
While the cameras themselves might be considered infallible, the city has errored in the way they are set up and operated. You should expect to LOSE at trial even if you object to the evidence on these grounds. HOWEVER, these MAY help you get your ticket overturned in appeal. That’s right, if you want any chance of winning, you will have to APPEAL. This takes a lot of time and energy. If you’re fed up and willing to put in the time it takes to appeal, then go ahead and plead not-guilty. Otherwise, don’t waste your time and take the $80 buy-out deal.
What to do:
- Buy the book Fight Your Ticket in California from Nolo Press. Make sure you get thee one specifically for California.
- Go to the Hall of Justice (850 Bryant St.) with a copy of your citation many weeks before your trial. Parking hint: You can park on 6th street after 9am. so show up at 8:59 and you’ll have all the free parking you want. Otherwise you might have to pay the garages that charge $6 for the first 1/2 hour. Go to the 5th floor, turn right at the hallway, and go to the end. This is the Police Legal department. Tell the friendly officers (really, they have always been very friendly in this office) that you want to fill out an “Informal discovery request”. They will give you a short form. Fill it out, and the City’s “Photo prosecution packet” will be sent to you. This is exactly what they will present at trial, which is always a good thing to have beforehand.
Issues:
(For a good overview of many of these issues, read Highwayrobbery.net).
- The city has not property issued warning tickets as required by 21455.5. CVC (California vehicle code) 21455.5 allows cities to put up Automated Enforcement Systems if they follow the guidelines set forth in the statue. One of the statutes is that “Prior to issuing citations under this section, a local jurisdiction utilizing an automated traffic enforcement system shall commence a program to issue only warning notices for 30 days.” While most cities (I believe San Francisco is included) took this to mean warning tickets only needed to be issued 30 days before the first camera in a city, a recent court ruling in Southern California mandated that EACH camera is succeptible to the 30-day rule. At trial, I suggest asking the prosecution’s witness (the officer) if they issued only warning tickets for the first 30 days of YOUR camera’s operation.
- CVC 21455.5 also has very strict requirement with respect to intersection signage. 21455.5(a) basically says the city has to label an AES-enabled intersection from all sides. There is one exception: if they choose not to label the intersection from all sides, then it can “posts signs at all major entrances to the city, including, at a minimum, freeways, bridges, and state highway routes.” Note that San Francisco DOES NOT post the required signs on major city entrances like bridges, freeways, and state highway routes. Instead, they choose to label major freeway exits. This is not compliant with the letter or the spirit of the law. While some AES-enforced intersections ARE labeled with signage in all direction, many are completely un-labeled meaning the city is falling back on the fact that they think they’ve labeled the “freeways, bridges, and state highway routes”. If you bring this up at trial (as I did) expect to LOSE. By bringing it up at trial, though, you can use it in your appeal.
- Interesting pre-trial motions. Present them at your arraignment. They probably won’t work, but might be useful ammunition during your appeal.
- Try to subpoena the camera’s “source code”. The camera is more than a camera. It’s a computer. You have the right to question your accuser in court. Your accuser is this computer. You should have the right to know exactly how it is programmed. If this motion is granted, you will probably never see the “source code” (it’s a trade secret) and therefore I would expect the prosecution to drop the charges. It’s worth a shot. It will probably help your case if you know how (ie have the credentials) to interpet any “source code” that you might receive.
- The camera is disallowed under California’s “Speed trap” laws. This is a very interesting one, and will take further research. CVC 40801 forbids speed traps in California. “What does this have to do with Red Light Cameras?” you might ask. Well, let me tell you. CVC 40801 says “No peace officer or other person shall use a speed trap in arresting, or participating or assisting in the arrest of, any person for any alleged violation of this code nor shall any speed trap be used in securing evidence as to the speed of any vehicle for the purpose of an arrest or prosecution under this code.” CVS 40802 says “A particular section of a highway measured as to distance and with boundaries marked, designated, or otherwise determined in order that the speed of a vehicle may be calculated by securing the time it takes the vehicle to travel the known distance.” What does this mean to you? Well, the Red Light Computer decided to take a picture of you because you were headed for the intersection at a rate of speed high enough to assume that you were going to go past the ‘stop line’. It knew this because there are coils of wire in the pavement in each lane that are a set distance apart. It calculated your speed by securing the time it takes your vehicle to travel the known distance. Sound familiar? CVC 40801 now says they can’t use this evidence to prosecute you. But they did anyway, and now you have grounds to fight it. I didn’t try this angle, but I have a feeling you’ll LOSE if you do. But I want to hear about how it went, so write to me.
I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at aren /at/ thesandersens dotcom with your experiences.
@fela: It is legal to enter the intersection on yellow if there’s room for you on the other side. If you did enter on yellow, the flashes were probably for someone behind you.
If not, (i.e. the camera thought you entered on red) then your employer will get the ticket. Though they will try to make it seem otherwise, he does not have to tell them who was driving. It might involve him making a trip to the police station or even going to court, though. It likely won’t get dismissed by mail.
@Rincon Hill’er: Posting bail for infractions is the full amount of the ticket.
I know for a fact I got photographed at the Harrison and First intersection. I plan to attend traffic school for the fee reduction. Could you possibly explain how that exactly works when I do receive my ticket in the mail?
I got a red light ticket while driving a car registered in my husbands name (so the ticket is actually to him at the moment – we’ll see if he rats me out). The offense took place March 3rd and we just got the ticket the day before mothers day. I drive through this intersection daily. I don’t make a habit of going through red lights and this one came as a total shock. Is there a way to know if there are any other such tickets we haven’t gotten in the mail yet?
@Argh — if he goes to court instead of ratting you out, it will be dismissed. Also, depending on the reason why it was delayed getting to you, it might no longer be valid. Keep the envelope with the postmark. And no, there’s no way to know of red light tickets that you haven’t received yet. By law they have to be delivered to you within 15 days.
Hi,
I got red light violation with camera in Union City on April 27, 2010. I just received the pictures 1 week after that..the face was not clear and only half( covered by the visor). The first picture said that Red 0.11 and elapsed time : 00( zero)xz
Picture 2: Red 0.98, elapsed time 0.87. It is a 40 mile/hr street and I was driving 35 miles( per the picture).
Do you mind to explain what are those numbers from the picture?
I am trying to go to court because the fine is $446. Let me know..Thank you
@Jenny — The numbers are saying that you (allegedly) crossed the ‘stop’ line after the light was red for .11 seconds already. The second picture was taken .87 seconds later, when the light had been red for .98 seconds.
If the picture is not clear, I recommend going to court. They will most likely offer you a reduced fine.
Hi Im from Canada and do not have a front plate on my car. I was in SF and burned a red light and saw the flash. The car is not under my name. What should I expect: will the owner get the ticket, if he does and says its not him thats it? is there a chance i might get nothing since i dont have a ffront plate? thank you in advance for your time
@notagain —
Without a front plate, chances are the owner won’t be mailed a ticket. If he does, assuming the photo doesn’t look like him, he can go to court and get it dismissed.
I ran a red light on May 9, 2010 and I saw the camera flashes go off. It’s now May 25, 2010 and still no ticket and 15 calendar days have passed. Isn’t there some sort of law that states that tickets must be issued within 15 days?
Thank you Aren..
don’t you think 0.11 seconds is really short( below 0.4 seconds)? can I argue that it will be too dangerous to stop ?
the picture of the face has half covered by the visor…
Aren,
I recently got a right on red ticket. But I was only going 10 mph, the video shows no cars in oncoming traffic before nor after my turn, and I am a student…this 436$ ticket is an extreme financial hardship for me…do you think there is any point in fighting the ticket?
ty Aren for your time; since I was pictured and the owner is actually a woman and i live in montreal and the ticket was in san fransisco chances are it wont even get mailed right?
@alana — by your admission you are guilty of not stopping; however that doesn’t mean you have to pay full price. Plead not-guilty with the clerk (which means paying the $436), go to trial, and they will offer you a significant discount if you accept traffic school (assuming your are eligible) and refund the difference.
I’ve been quite paranoid about traffic violations since getting a speeding ticket more than two years ago. So maybe someone could offer me some thoughts.
Recently, I came to a rolling stop inside the crosswalk going westbound on Howard, at 4th, on a red. I did not pass the crosswalk into the intersection, and I don’t recall the red light camera flashing. (But it was sunny out and I was looking towards my left, and the camera would have been on the right, so I might have missed the flash.) With all the roadwork going on at that intersection, I was concerned about road hazards and missed the stop line on this wide crosswalk.
I suppose I’ll find out whether I got a ticket in a week or two, but any thoughts on whether one will come in the meantime?
Is the city still offering Trial + Traffic School discount for Red Light Camera tickets? Anyone knows?
Haven’t heard for sure lately, but chances are good it’s still around.
My dad received a SF red light camera ticket in the mail. I was driving my dad’s car, and the picture clearly shows that the driver was not him.
I understand that my dad can say that it was not him and does not have to disclose the identity of the actual driver.
What we are unclear on is the process by which we should do so. My ticket says that “if you were not the driver,” my dad must fill out the affadavit of non-liability on the ticket, in the beginning of which my dad must check either “New Owner (vehicle was sold prior to violation date)” or “Identified Driver (driver other than registered owner).” For the latter case, he is asked for the actual driver’s name, driver’s license no., etc.
Can he simply write under actual driver’s name “I have no statement regarding the actual driver”?
The instruction sheet says that if the information on the identified driver is “accurate and complete”, the citation will be dismissed, but if it is not “accurate” (note: they don’t say not complete), the citation will remain in his name until the Court receives the correct information.
Advice?
I had the picture but the face is covered half by the visor? ..and the red light was on for 0.11 second..can I argue that is too fast and dangerous to stop?
@Moses:
The city will not make that path easy for you, though it is your/his right. He can certainly try to write “no statement” but they will probably ignore it and continue to prosecute. I say it’s worth a shot, though. Let me know if you try it.
Other options:
1) schedule a time with the police department to see the high-resolution photos they have. When it’s clear to the officer that they have the wrong person, they will badger him to reveal who it is. When he refuses to say and threatens to go to court they will often dismiss the charges.
2) go to the courthouse clerk, plead not-guilty (you’ll pay the ticket amount) and then schedule a trial. Assuming it looks nothing like him, it’ll be dismissed (after a substantial waste of time).
3) (least favorite) let him reveal it’s you. when you go to trial, move for dismissal because the evidence at that point is hearsay — your dad won’t be subpoenaed and his statement could be considered hearsay.
Aren
@Jenny: While .11 seconds is tough to measure (and, in fact, gives you lots of defenses [ see highwayrobbery.net ]) I really doubt it will work as an argument since you had a whole yellow light to come to a stop.
If there could be any doubt that it’s you on the other side of the visor, then plead not-guilty and go to court. Don’t lie that it’s you, but don’t admit it either — the evidence has to stand on its own.
Just wondering if anyone without a front plate has experience with accidentally running any of the red lights on 19th ave and also park presidio? did you get a ticket? I have no front plate, and was stuck in heavy traffic and I think I got the flash turning right on red from sloat onto 19th, and the flash again on park presidio…. Just wondering if I should be expecting a ticket or if having no front plate saved me… Thank You in advance..
@Nate — I doubt you’ll get a ticket. No cameras in SF (that I know of) take any photos or video from the rear.
Got a red light violation at Park Presidio and Lake. Ouch, $446 plus a point on my driving record (what’s that going to cost?) I would like to use the trial + traffic school option if possible. I’m a firefighter with a class B commercial license, will this preclude me from traffic school or this option. I hope this option is still viable and that it plays out in the way described above. Have not seen any follow up posting, so I’m wondering if this option has been working as stated. Any feedback and recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
I recently got an automated red light citation on the intersection of Oak and Octavia in San Francisco. When I entered the intersection the light was green and then turned yellow but went immediately to red. I was amazed at how quickly the yellow light changed, it seemed like maybe one second. Is there any info or history of shortened yellows in S.F. or what can be done about it?
I know this has been asked a couple of times throughout this thread without response but has anyone done the trial + traffic method lately? If so, is it still an option to have your ticket reduced before the actual trial and if so what was the ticket price?
As of last week, trial+traffic no longer works. No offer is made by the clerk.
You may get the admin fee ($52) for traffic school waived, but you still pay $446 plus whatever traffic school charges.
In fact, if you are able to get the fine reduced at all, take it.
Some moron who had his fine reduced to $140 appealed and tried to get it dismissed. The judge said no dice and told him he had to pay the full $446.
Interesting, the only people who were all convicted were the red light camera folks. That was 4 out of 28 people the day I went. Of the remaining 26, who were there for other violations, 18 were dismissed because the officer did not show, and 6 were convicted as the officer was present.
So bottom line – you get a red light ticket, you are screwed. Have $500 handy, because you will need it.
Imterestingly, if you get a regular ticket, you should go for trial, as there is 66% chance the cop will not show!
Thanks for this site, but the deal is dead now.
The best advice is to remove your front plate, that way they cannot send a ticket. If you get stopped, tell cop it was damaged and get a fix-it ticket.
Good luck…hope you can learn from my mistake of 0.4 seconds.
@rick — if you choose to fight the ticket, as part of the trial process you can ask the city for the timing information of the yellow light. if it’s too short (there’s a chart that mandates the minimum yellow light time given the road’s speed limit), the ticket will be dismissed.
Aren,
You provide an excellent site. My red light violation was June 19th. My “Courtesy Warning Notice” was not even postmarked until July 8th (19 days later). Before i saw your site, I called to ask for photos. I was told “they could not access them.” On July 14th they finally mailed some – 25 days after the violation. Am I off the hook because I did not receive the notice within 15 days?
Thanks,
Jim
Jim
@Jim — The notice isn’t valid. Unfortunately you are not off the hook as the city won’t hold the city responsible for the incorrect service. Visit highwayrobbery.net, he’s got good info on the issue. If you fight it, you’ll file a demurrer, claiming the notice wasn’t proper and hence the ticket is invalid. If you want to go that route (it’s far from a sure thing) let me know and I’ll help you through it (my email address is on the bottom of the blog entry). Do you still have the envelope with the postmark?
Hi Aren,
Thanks for maintaining this excellent site and info.
I have got a red light ticket in Fremont, and I went for arraignment and pleaded not guilty and obtained trial date. At the time of incident, I had sever nausea cz of my pregnancy. crossed the stop line 0.5s after the light turned red. I could not estimate the yellow light time duration and had to cross the red light cz of my situation. I have a letter from my doctor stating my condition during the first trimister. I have no idea whether the judge will consider my situation and lower the fine ? Does the judge charge extra fine if he does not consider my reason as the valid one and finds me guilty? Do I have the option of traffic school in the trial?
First of all, Did I take a good decision of going for trial?
Thanks.
Hi Aren and others,
I just came back to Germany (I’m German) from San Francisco. Unfortunately I run a redlight somewhere in the Financial district on my way to the Bay Bridge with a rental car.
The camera took two shots. That’S for sure.
Could you please tell me, what I have to expect? Has a foreigner pay the fine? How will that work? I can’t go this Traffic-school solution, because the flight will be to expensive ;-).
I can not understand, why there is a chance to pay only $ 80 while the fine is over $ 300. Do I have the chance to lower the fine? If yes, could anybody give me an idea how?
Thanks
Ulrich
Hi, I just received a citation under VC21453A in the (bail) amount of $466. In the pictures, the Red Time is shown as 00 (with the smaller digit after that being very blurry, even online.) The citation alleges that this smaller digit is “8”(0.8 sec reaction time) – (they are likely basing that on the second pic being taken at 2.0 seconds and the “time between pics” being recorded as 1.22 seconds.)
Even assuming one agrees that the smaller digit is 0.8, the human reaction time (time to start applying brakes) is an avg of 0.75 per DMV itself (http://www.skytran.net/09Safety/03sfty.htm).
Note that the code language is “A driver facing a steady circular red signal alone…”. A fraction of a second is not a “steady” red signal. Therefore, in light of the DMV reaction time of 0.75 seconds, a 0.8 second Red Time cannot be considered a “steady” red signal.
Do you think this may work? To advance such an argument, what do I need to do?
Second question: in the second pic, my speed is recorded at 31 in a 25 mph zone. Would this potentially increase my fine if I pleaded not quilty OR have they lost the opportunity to charge me with speeding?
Thanks much.
Ed
NOTE: in the previous post, 0.8 seconds is the Red Time and 0.75 secs is the avg reaction time. I mistakenly typed 0.8 sec “reaction time” in one place.
Hi Aren,
I was driving in Ca and coming to a red light. I hit the break and made a complete stop but the red light camera went of and flashed once. I believe my front tire passed the crosswalk line about one foot. I am so scared that they will send me a ticket. This is my first one ever. Also, I was driving a relative’s car who is going to be out of state for several months. Do you think they will send me a ticket?
Hey Aren great site.
I was driving on Franklin late one night and was timing all the lights so that I didn’t have to brake. I came up to Franklin and O’Farrell and as I was approaching the intersection the light was red, but I didn’t slow down knowing that it was going to turn green in just a moment. When the flash went off from the camera I am almost positive that the light had already turned green. Now I’m not even sure if I’ll receive a citation in the mail, but if I do I want to be prepared. I’ve read all the other comments and didn’t see any cases similiar to mine. Any thoughts on the best way to fight a ticket if it does arrive. It was also a very dark night and the flash didn’t seem sufficient enough to produce a quality picture. And I know that the intersection does not have the required warning signs posted, nor is there any warning signs posted going in or out of SF via the Golden Gate Bridge. As far as the other major entrances to the city I’m not sure, but I can’t remember ever seeing any warning signs anywhere in or around SF.
Interesting website. I got stuck with a red light ticket. The ticket, though, is addressed to my maiden name. Any chance this can work in my favor?
@Akshya — The judge will not charge you more than the original ticket. I do not think you have a good case and recommend you take whatever plea deal they offer that includes traffic school. Please do not drive if you are so nauseous.
@Ulrich — Don’t worry about it unless you get a letter from the court. I’d say there’s a good chance you won’t since you don’t live in the U.S.
@Ed –It’s a terrible case. You had at least 3 seconds of yellow to react to (unless you think the yellow light was too short), not just the .8 of red light time. No, they won’t add a speeding charge. If that’s your only argument, don’t waste your time with court (you will be found guilty) unless you’re hoping for a plea deal.
@Lid — No, I don’t think they’ll send you a ticket.
@Bryan — I’d expect a citation. The flash is sufficient. The city has tried to post signs at every highway exit; I don’t believe it’s sufficient but the court does. It’s a good argument at trial, but the judge will still find you guilty.
@Michie B — No, that argument won’t work. That’s the name your car is registered under… it’s still you.
@Aren: I was driving in South SF, made a stop for a right turn, then rolled forward and stopped again because there were cars turning from the opposite side. I definitely stopped both times, but I can’t remember how long I stopped the first time or if I was completely behind the line, though I’m 99% sure I was and that I did stop. I made my right turn through the intersection. After my right turn, about 50 feet later I was out of the intersection and I was flashed twice by the camera on the cross street which I had turned onto. Would the camera to get me have to be across the intersection from where I entered? I didn’t see it flash, but the one after the right turn did. There was a sign before the intersection that said “Right on red okay after complete stop.” What do you think? Was it even for me, did I confuse the system, or am I going to get a ticket?
I was in S San Francisco this weekend. I made a left turn at westborough going to El Camino. The light flashed but from what I could recall, I didnt see any red light, it was green.
I have an odd case. There was construction (19th Ave) and they had blocked both the right and left lanes, so people were merging in from both sides. I was in the middle lane (the only free one). As I approached the light, I made the usual mental calculation regarding how far away I am and if I can make (it was still green). But then a car from the right lane cut into my lane, and I had to touch the brakes to prevent hitting him. In that split second I had slowed down enough so that by the time I entered the crossing (behind the car who cut me off and made it in) the light was red.
Obviously I had the right of way in my own lane… so I had not accounted for the possibility of people cutting in.
First I get cut-off, and the guy who did that goes through but I get a ticket. I know this is probably too complex to win at a trial, but I do feel very bad that in spite of being a pretty good law abiding citizen, I have to now pay and waste time!
Any suggestions will be welcome.
@ Aren: Thank you very much. So I need to wait 😉
Aren,
I slammed on the brakes this morning on 19th and Sloat. I could have stopped before the crosswalk, but the car behind me slammed her brakes and it didn’t look like she could avoid me. I decided to stop on the crosswalk to avoid getting my rear totaled, and I hesitantly looked at the camera across the street. I did not notice a flash go off at all.
My question is, does the flash have to go off for these cameras, or should I be expecting a nice fine in the mailbox?
Thank you
Thank you Aren, Looks like the red light camera that I was caught does not have the ‘photo enforced’ or any kind of notice in the direction of my travel. Is this going to be a valid point to argue? Is Plea deal still offered?
Hi Aren, I remember my day quite clearly, I was on the way to the SF Acadamey of Sciences 2 weeks ago on July 21st when I noticed a series of flashes on 19th & Sloat @ approximately 8:20 AM while driving in the far right lane. I have had a previous encounter with a red light camera in Newark in which I decided to just pay for, so when I had seen the flash I was worried for the fear of losing more money since I’m a college student money doesn’t really come easy. When I crossed the first limit line the light was still yellow, and as I was in the middle it was still yellow. However, as I was directly below the stoplight/ on top of the 2nd limit the first flash came. I had also noticed right after the 1st flash that there was a Mercedes in the far left lane that had passed the 2nd limit line about 1.5 seconds after I did and thats when the flash from behind came. Correct me if I’m wrong but I also looked up the entire 19th street on google maps in search of “Photo Enforced” signs and none were posted. So, its been 2 weeks as of Wednesday. August 4th what do you think my chances of the ticket being for me is. The thing that makes me think the ticket is for me and not the Mercedes is because the camera looks like it is in a position that only takes photos of the right lane, so I was wondering if that is true or not? And what are the chances that the flashes were for me? By the way thank you so much for keeping up with the website man major props.
-Alex
@Graham — those flashes weren’t for you.
@Joe — wait 3 weeks. If still no ticket in the mail, you’ll know for sure.
@Raihan — yes, that is a bad situation. If you get a ticket let us know — the road construction can perhaps be used to your advantage.
@Matt — If you don’t go through the intersection, they usually won’t send you a ticket.
@Akshya — realize that the city does not have to post those signs at every intersection. They can post them at all city entrances instead. You will lose at trial with that argument though, so be prepared to appeal. A commenter above reported the plea deal is no more.
@Alex — those flashes don’t sound like they were for you.
Thanks Aren, would you happen to know when the latest a ticket can come in? It’s been two weeks and it’d be nice to know when I can rest at ease.
-Alex
Alex — the law says 15 days. But sometimes they come up to 30 days later, and the judges won’t dismiss them for lateness.
Thank you very much.
Hi- So the otherday I was on my motorcycle and the light was green when a large truck pulled in front of me obstructing the light. I slowed a bit and merged over and by the time u could see the signal it was yellow. Since the ground was wet I decided to excelerate instead of braking hard and possibly wiping out on the painted surfaces and the light changed as i hit the intersection and I saw the light flash. If I get this ticket what’s my best bet? I was thinking plead guilty but tell my circumstances in hopes of a lowered fine.
Oh by the way, I read sf city uses only front facing ACS cameras that only take front pics and bikes are safe because of no front plates?!?
Any advice p